I spend a good portion of each day updating my various plans that would have me back on the road again by October 24, it is hoped in the Defender, in time to catch the 2:45 p.m. ferry from Skagway, 120 miles from Whitehorse, to the Seattle area. I simply have to catch that ferry to avoid the winter weather up here, which usually comes the following week, and avoid driving White Pass under likely problem conditions. Each day brings me more information or the need to get more information, so the plans have to be revised daily because of the decision I made to stay with the Defender until it is back on the road.
Here is where I am on Friday night.
You will recall that I ordered a new engine on October 4 for delivery in eight days. With two days required to install, if all went well, the Defender would be back on the road by October 15, I figured, in time for the three of us to catch the October 17 ferry. But I knew that things never go according to plan, so I booked us one of the last places on the October 24 ferry (it leaves weekly), the very last ferry I could take to leave here before winter sets in. Driving the 1200 miles to Seattle was never part of my schedule and is totally out of the question in the weather up here then, Defender or no Defender.
Yesterday, when I inquired about the delivery of the engine, I learned that it was scheduled for arrival here in Whitehorse by Thursday, October 20, 5 pm, meaning Travis would only be able to pick it up in town the next day and not start work on it until Monday, October 24, too late for me to catch that day's ferry.
I had to do something to try to move that schedule up by three days. But what? So, with the help of Brad at Atlantic British and Stephanie at UPS, and others mentioned below, I spent a good deal of yesterday and today on the phone, on emails, and paying in-person visits trying to get as much current information as I could so I could see what my options were to make the Octiber 24 ferry with the Defender.
Here's what I learned...
Atlantic British, from whom I bought the engine on October 4, contracted with Wolrdwide Express to find a company to ship it by ground to John's Auto in Whitehorse here, but to be delivered to a drop off it downtown Whitehorse, requiring an extra day.
Worldwide Express contracted with UPS to ship the engine. UPS gave an estimated date of arrival as eight days.
The engine was shipped on the 7th.
UPS does not operate in Canada, so they contracted with Canada Cartage to take charge of the delivery starting in Salt Lake City from Edmonton Alberta to Whitehorse (1900 miles). So I decided to visit Canada Cartage here in Whitehorse at the address I had for them, 114 Calcite, to find out about how they intended to ship the engine once they got it and what my options were to get it here by no later than Wednesday,
I drove to 114 Calcite, but could not see any sign of Canada Cartage. I did see an office for Canadian Freightways, though, and so decided to go in there to see what they knew about Canada Cartage. As it turns out, Canada Cartage has no office per se here, just a phone number and a freight terminal. But Gary Lewis, the manager of Canadian Freightways, was extremely gracious with his time to help me find of what I needed to know. Here's what I learned from him.
Gary told me that Canada Cartage was essentially a mover of grocery products to Whitehorse and was more than likely going to contract out the delivery of the engine to either his company, whose trucks leave Edmonton every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings for arrival in Whitehorse two days later, or to Pacific Northwest, whose trucks leave Edmonton every weekday say night. So, if indeed Canada Cartage did contract out the shipment to either company AND it indeed did arrive in Edmonton as scheduled, the engine would be here by Wednesday night and picked up by Travis on Thursday, still not a comfortable margin for me to make the 10/24 ferry.
While Gary was on the phone trying to reach Rachel at Canada Cartage's Edmonton office to find out what she knew, I called Ross at Worldwide Express, the only one who could authorize changes to anything on the shipment, and he graciously and helpfully indicated that he would authorize anything needed to expedite the shipment.
Gary finally got in touch with Rachel and she reported that Canada Cartage had already assigned to delivery to Pacific Northwest. Gary assured me the delivery was in good hands, as it would have been in his firm's hands too, I must add, assuming that it arrived in Edmonton on time on Saturday, or as late as early Monday afternoon. So, in effect, nothing was needed on my part to change delivery options or to expedite the delivery.
Gary also discovered one other fact for me that I will come back to below.
I left Gary and drove immediately to Pacific Northwest's office near the airport to talk with Norman, who coordinates freight shipments, as Gary suggested. Norman was on holiday so I spoke with Marika, who was extremely knowledgeable about these matters in general. She told me that the delivery would not be in their system until they got it, and suggested I stop by Monday. She also told me that if the engine is on their truck Monday afternoon, it will be here Wednesday morning, not evening. Hearing that was like music to my ears. I asked Marika what their track record was for deliveries from Edmonton, 1900 miles and 36 hours away, and she told me that in all the years she has been with Pacific Northwest, only one delivery was late, but she would not tell me how many years she had been there.
Having gained two days, I asked Marika if there would be any problem delivering the engine directly to John's Auto Repair instead of to the drop off Travis had given UPS, and she said there would be none. Another day saved.
I also asked Matt at John's Auto Repair yesterday if they could start to uninstall the current engine as soon as I got word it was on a truck to Whitehorse with a firm delivery time, and he said they would. Another day saved.
So, if the engine is in Edmonton as sceduled, Saturday at 10:30, or as late as Monday morning, it looks like the engine will arrive Wednesdzy morning, giving John's Auto Repair three days to install it, maybe four counting the day to uninstall the old engine before the new one arrives, when many indications are that only two are needed.
The bottom line is that there is nothing more I need to or can do or have to pay to expedite the delivery of the engine to Whitehorse on a timely basis.
That's the good news. Here's the bad news. Gary checked the UPS tracking web site and learned that the truck with my engine on it left Salt Lake City at 12:11.yesterdy afternoon, but reported a mechanical breakdown five and a half hours later. (I hope it was not an engine failure for the driver's sake,mor mine.) The web site shows no movement since then, which means we might have already lost a day. It the truck or a replacement is not on the road by tomorrow morning or so, my entire Plan A breaks down. Howver, Marika assured me that companies have to move cargo so some plans are probably already in place to move those goods, including my engine, to Edmonton.
If one or more of my readers wish to track the engine on the UPS tracking website and let me know when it is moving again, or arrives in Edmonton, or is on the truck to Whitehorse, or marked delivered, here is the UPS tracking number. 231474025. I will award a coveted On the Road patch to the first person to report any of these milestones as a comment to this posting or email to me. I will not be checking myself.
I am fully aware that anything could happen to this shipment, as has already happened, that could throw a spanner in my Plan A. I am also aware that something may get delayed at John's Auto Repair (e,g., another part is needed, but I have taken measures to prevent that by ordering more than a dozen other auxiliary parts). I am prepared to accept that, as unappealing as that may be. But having done all the homework I could possibly do, I remain optimistic.
It would be wrong of me to end this posting without thanking the many people who contributed to my new found sense of optimism, Brad at Atlantic British, Ross at Worldwide Express, Stephanie at UPS Urgent Services, Gary at Canadian Freighways, Marika at Pacific Northwest, Rachel at Canada Cartage -Edmonton, Travis and Matt at John's Auto Repair, Gordon at La Morna Garage who is standing by in Seattle to deal with any residual issues with the a Defender that I throw his way once the Defender rolls off the ferry under its own power or not, when we arrive there, and unnamed others for reasons they know why. I have rarely seen in my life so many people wanting to help someone solve a problem for a stranger. If I am happy this breakdown took place, it is because I needed to see this display of people wanting to help others.
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